6 Points to consider before Building a Mobile App Using WordPress

After having impressed the immense population of web developers, WordPress has now being considered as one of the best option for mobile app development. Recently, at WordCamp Miami, one of the most discussed topics was that of leveraging WordPress for powering mobile and applications. Well, if you’re a WordPress developer and want to try your hands on developing a mobile app using WordPress, wait a moment. There’s a lot that you need to be familiar with. This is a post which will tell you all. Here, I’ve jotted down few vital points that must be considered before going ahead with mobile app development using WordPress.

1. Check whether or not your privileged users will be using WordPress back-end for mobile app administration

While you’re busy building your mobile app, you can always opt for using the WordPress back-end in addition to REST API and WP-CLI for fudging the data. But, once the app becomes functional, a crucial question that needs to be answered is that whether your privileged users would still be using the WordPress back-end for creating and moderating content and users. For instance, you need to see whether you’ll be using the theme admin or a Composer or Git for keeping all your dependencies updated.

2. Know the exact reasons behind using WordPress for building your next mobile application

Well, building mobile applications is quite different than building a WordPress website, theme or plugins. Hence, you must be familiar with the reasons that back the usage of WordPress for building a mobile application. Some of the most popular reasons for choosing WordPress to create a mobile app include the following:

A commendable backwards-compatibility

A secure relational database that can be queried easily

A totally customizable REST API

A powerful and extendable URL Mapping system

While the above reasons are well enough tempting to choose WordPress for mobile app development, it is recommended to hear the feedback of WordPress haters as well. Doing this will enable you to decide whether or not using WordPress would actually be worth it.

3. Check whether your app users would be interested in using the WordPress back-end

While not many apps require front-end data input and user interactions, there are other which need both these things. For the latter type of mobile apps, you’re required to create a remarkable front-end interface that would allow you to gather user data and go ahead with interacting with different users instantly. Additionally, you also need to watch out whether the target users for the app are inclined on using any of the back-end components for submitting data that you intend to gather from them.

4. Be sure on whether or not you’ll be using an MVC Framework for building your mobile app’s front-end

While some of the expert app developers believe MVC to be a bad fit for mobile app development, there are other who feel MVC framework to be an excellent choice for developing eye-catchy, working mobile applications. Specifically talking about app development using WordPress, it actually refers to using the JavaScript MVC frameworks which includes React, Angular and Backbone. That means, as an app developer, if you’re well acquainted with even one of these JavaScript frameworks, it can become quite convenient for you to creating apps that look magical and work in the desired format.

5. Check whether or not you would be decoupling your front end(s)

URL mapping is one of the prime reasons behind usage of WordPress for creation of remarkable mobile apps. The term ‘URL Mapping’ means using WordPress for creating a response via a URL that has been passed to it. In addition to this, based on this URL, you’ll be able to do a query or return a specific error page. Well, there are numerous reasons behind the urgency of decoupling the front-end of your WordPress website. One of the prime reasons is that it makes it quite easier for you to have multiple front-ends built specially for different platforms such as iOS, Android, web, desktop, Windows Mobile and many more. While it’s quite exciting to use separate front ends, you need to be sure of whether you’ll be interested in the concept.

6. Find out whether you are ready to face the challenges associated with creation of mobile apps with WordPress?

The world of WordPress development is filled with amazing innovations. With the addition of custom post types, improved back-end interface and a RESTful API; WordPress has matured a lot when it’s about app development. So, it is vital for you to know what all has changed about WordPress and what all hasn’t. Before starting an app development project with WordPress, you need to dive into technical, philosophical and business questions regarding WordPress as a mobile app development alternative.

Conclusion

There’s no doubt on the fact that WordPress is being increasingly used for developing simple and complex web and mobile applications. Here’s hoping the points mentioned above would allow you to take your best step forward when it comes to using WordPress for building your next mobile application.

About The Author – This is Amanda Cline and am working as a ios developer with Xicom Technologies Ltd- a leading Iphone App Development Company. When not busy developing great iOS apps, I feel proud in blogging and rendering IT support to individuals and enterprises.